The Louvre museum was closed for three days following a robbery that took place on Sunday, October 19th, 2025. In less than ten minutes, and in broad daylight, two thieves had managed to steal seven pieces of jewelry, worth roughly $120 million, from one of the most secure museums in the world. At 9:30 am, the robbers arrived at the museum with a ladder that gave them access to a second floor balcony. The museum had only been open for half an hour at this time, and two of the suspects had been dressed as construction workers.
Upon arrival, they used an angle grinder to cut through the glass. In fact, the thieves were equipped with tools mentioned in the Louvre firefighting manual, said to be effective, and proven so. They had entered just rooms away from where the museum displays the famous “Mona Lisa.” This particular area could not be caught by the outdoor security cameras, as said cameras don’t cover the entire facade of the building and are, admittedly, old. Two display cases were smashed, and the jewelry stolen was reported to have belonged to Emperor Napoleon and his wife.
At 9:38 am, one minute after the museum’s alarm was triggered, the thieves escaped. It is also notable that this was less than four minutes after they had broken in. They made their swift exit, followed by escaping on motorbikes. In their tracks, police had found a lot, including one of the pieces of jewelry, recognized as the crown of Empress Eugenie. They also found a balaclava (known as a ski mask in the United States), a pair of gloves, and a yellow vest, all worn by one of the suspects. With the clothing items they also found other supplies, such as their angle grinders, gasoline, and a blowtorch, a walkie talkie, and a blanket.
Roughly an hour after the robbery, at 10:34 am, the event had been announced. Then, three minutes after the announcement, the museum was closed, and stayed that way for three days. The heist has been labelled the largest at this particular museum since the “Mona Lisa” had been stolen in 1911, and because of the severity, led to a nationwide manhunt. Eight days after the robbery took place, it was announced that two suspects had been apprehended. After 96 hours of questioning, both suspects had partially admitted to taking place in the crime. Five more suspects had been arrested following the initial two, and the case remains an active investigation.
On October 22nd, 2025, it was announced that authorities found traces of DNA on a helmet and a glove abandoned by the robbers. The following day, a video of the grand escape was released to the public. Then, on October 24th, 2025, authorities report they’d collected roughly 150 pieces of evidence, including fingerprints. It was two days after this that the original two suspects had been apprehended. Both were caught in a relatively similar situation, one of the thieves arrested while at the airport with the intention of leaving, and the other intending on traveling to Maui.
What is found to be exceptionally intriguing about this case, despite the fact that it was something deemed to be nearly impossible, and the biggest heist to have occurred at the Louvre in over 100 years, is the reaction of the public. Rather than coming forward and speaking on the event as if it were a serious crime, an atrocity, or something to be heavily punished and frowned upon, the internet celebrated. Something similar occurred when Brian Thompson, former CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed in New York last year. The average citizen, at least represented by specific forms of social media at the time, didn’t seem to have a care for the fact that this millionaire had been shot in the street. Concern seemed to lessen, even, when the police had made an arrest for the crime, and announced the suspect, Luigi Mangione. This particular case had gone to the point where users online were idolizing and romanticizing Mangione, and accepting what he had been accused of.
Speculatively, the reaction to each of these events have been portrayed this way because of systemic issues that separate the average, working class from the elites. Both of these incidents have been perceived as acts of rebellion against those that are, in every way, above the common citizen. It was believed, for a time, that Mangione had planned the death of Brian Thompson in protest of unfair healthcare systems that had been pushing him down. This speculation led to the support of the public, because they feel a sense of connection and unity to one another, as the average citizen. To further the connection, the act itself is one to stand up to the higher power, so to speak. People feel connected to these acts, because they feel heard in a world that has been cruel and unfair to them, especially in comparison to others.